You know you've led a great life when they name a foundation after you. But this story is as much about the people he influenced as it is about the Stan Deen Foundation or the man himself.

"We just carry on his work," said Nate Deen, the founder and executive director of the Stan Deen Foundation. "That's the greatest way we can honor him. Stan was more than a teacher. He did so many productions, but I think his greatest production was the people. His legacy will live on every time a young person does something positive.

"When I first met Stan, I was living in my car while still going to school, and I hadn't eaten in three days," continued Nate. "He offered me something to eat, and it changed my life. He literally became my father figure. In 2018, my wife and I changed our names to Deen. He was the last Deen in his lineage. I was the son he never had, and he was the father I always needed."

In the world of local nonprofits, the Stan Deen Foundation is a relatively recent initiative, yet one that is picking up steam. Using the performing arts and various aspects of media as vehicles, the Stan Deen Foundation seeks to positively affect the lives of students and teenagers, not unlike the impact Stan had on Nate and thousands of other New Holland-area youths.

Overseen by a board of directors, the Stan Deen Foundation sponsors a pair of Garden Spot High School scholarships, one designed to assist a student who excels in the classroom and the theater and another that seeks to further the fortunes of an underdog student. The Stan Deen Foundation is funded through private donations, and it recently received $8,500 in funds from the organizers of the New Holland Classic Car Show.

But the foundation's biggest strength, at least at this point of its development, might be its ability to cooperate and collaborate with similar, like-minded nonprofits.

"The mission is to support underserved children in New Holland, Lancaster County and across the country," said Nate. "We want to inspire hope in their lives. We believe one caring adult can change the lives of kids. We really try to find unique opportunities. We don't try to reinvent what other great nonprofits are doing. We'll partner with them."

Stan taught English at Garden Spot High School for 30 years and directed hundreds of theatrical productions, both within the school district and throughout the community. After experiencing a stroke two years earlier, Stan passed in his sleep on July 22, 2016.

His impact on the area cannot be overstated.

"We want to infuse art into young people's lives," said Nate. "That's what happened to me. I was living in my car, and he got me involved in the arts at Garden Spot. We never turn down an opportunity. We can refer them to someone else. We want to help that underdog, even though we may not know their stories. Stan loved the underdog, and I was the underdog. He did it through small moments of hope."

Nate wrote a movie, "Brave the Dark," which was based on Stan Deen's life. He also regularly speaks publicly about the influence Stan had on him.

"In New Holland, a lot of people knew him," said Nate. "What I love about his story is that when people hear what he did for me, they say, 'I wish I would've had a Stan Deen in my life.' What he did for me really drives the foundation. Young people today need to be seen, need to be heard. It's my passion too. Stan passed that on to me."

For additional information, go to https://standeenfoundation.org.